DPWH eyes construction of more evacuation centers
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is eyeing a bigger budget allocation for the construction of evacuation centers following President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the construction of more temporary shelters in disaster-prone areas.
“There will be additional budget. May plano po magkaroon ng additional budget for evacuation centers,” DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said Wednesday in a press briefing in Malacanang.
(There will be an additional budget. We have plans to allocate additional budget for evacuation centers.)
This, amid the agency’s plan to build at least two evacuation centers in each province or more than 200 centers nationwide as already programmed in its 2020 budget.
“In this year’s budget, meron po kaming allocation of two evacuation centers at least per province. So magkakaroon po ng additional to the evacuation centers that are already programmed in the budget,” Villar explained.
(In this year’s budget, we already have an allocation for at least two evacuation centers per province. So there will be additional evacuation centers to be built other than those already programmed in the budget.)
“By this year, we have programmed more than 200 evacuation centers that we’re targeting to finish. Madadagdagan pa yan if we get additional budget,” he added.
(By this year, we have programmed more than 200 evacuation centers that we’re targeting to finish. More will be built to that if we get additional budget.)
The President earlier said he wanted more evacuation centers built before his term ends in 2022 following the Taal eruption that displaced thousands of families from their homes.
Duterte wants more evacuation centers built before term ends
“Sa dami rin ng evacuees, we need more. Yun po ang sinasabi ni President na kailangan pa nating dagdagan and there are moves at this point na dagdagan yung budget for evacuation centers,” Villar said.
(With the large volume of evacuees, we need more [evacuation centers]. That is what the President was saying, that we need to add more and there are moves at this point to add more budget for the evacuation centers.)
Villar said the DPWH has so far built 114 evacuation centers since the start of the Duterte administration.
Three of the said facilities located in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region are already housing families displaced by Taal Volcano’s eruption.
“To date, we have constructed 114 evacuation centers. In fact, some of these evacuation centers are being used now for the evacuation of the Taal residents. Meron po kaming evacuation centers sa Tanauan, Sta. Rosa and San Pascual,” Villar said.
(To date, we have constructed 114 evacuation centers. In fact, some of these evacuation centers are being used now for the evacuation of the Taal residents. We have evacuation centers in Tanauan, Sta. Rosa and San Pascual.)
